Researcher Paul Norwood, MD publishes advice for those suffering from Diabetes

FRESNO, Calif. - Jan. 7, 2019 - PRLog -- Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorders with high blood sugar levels over a long period of time. Serious long-term complications include cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, foot ulcers, and damage to the eyes.  Dr. Paul Norwood published a new article on managing diabetes. The complete article will be published on the Blog of Dr. Paul Norwood at https://PaulNorwoodMD.blogspot.com/

Diabetes is disease characterized by high sugar/glucose levels in your blood. Glucose is generally found in the foods you eat. The hormone insulin helps this glucose to enter your cells, and release energy. As per the CDC, there are currently 30.3 million people in America that suffer from diabetes. Diabetes can further be broken down in Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes happens when your body cannot make insulin. People suffering from Type 1 diabetes need insulin shots on a daily basis. Type 2 diabetes happens when your body cannot use or make insulin too well. In this case, you are required to take medicine or insulin shots to manage your diabetes. This type of diabetes is the most prevalent. Finally, gestational diabetes is a kind of diabetes that happens to some women when they are pregnant. It usually goes away once they give birth, but even so, these women are at a higher risk of acquiring diabetes at a later point in their life.

Dr. Norwood notes that no one plays a more central role in managing your diabetes than you. You should seek help from a doctor and discuss the best way to care for your condition and stay healthy. Some key steps for managing diabetes are:

When you have diabetes, there are three main things to take care of:
a. The A1C Test: The A1C test is a blood test used to measure your blood glucose level over a period of 3 months. Ideally, the result for this test should be below 7, but you should ask your doctor for specifics as it can be different for everyone.
b. Blood Pressure: Your blood pressure is defined as the force of circulating blood on the walls of your blood vessels. The blood pressure goal for a diabetic is below 140/90 but as is the case with the A1C test, it may be different for you. Maintaining your blood pressure at normal levels is very important because a high blood pressure means more work for your heart. This can go on to cause a stroke, a heart attack, and damage your eyes and kidneys.
c. Cholesterol: The cholesterol in your blood can be broken down into 2 parts. LDL is the '"bad cholesterol".  This can accumulate and block your blood vessels, causing a stroke or heart attack. HDL is the "good cholesterol". It helps remove LDL from your blood vessels. As far as the ideal level of LDL and HDL is concerned, the answer varies for everyone, and your doctor will be able to advise you better on this.

Keep in touch with your doctor and your healthcare team. Pay your doctor a visit at least twice a year so that you are up to date with your condition. If any problems are found, regular visits can help treat them on a timely basis.

At each visit, you must get:
* A blood pressure check
* A weight check
* A foot check
* A review of your health plan

Besides this, you must get an A1C test done at least twice a year. If the result is often over 7, the frequency may have to be increased.

You'll also need to get the following done, once a year:
* Cholesterol Test
* Dental Exam
* Eye exam in case of eye problems
* Complete foot exam
* Flu shot
* Blood and urine test in case of kidney problems

Managing your diabetes will also help you avoid serious health problems such as:
* Stroke or heart attack
* Nerve damage, this is usually characterized by pain, numbness or a tingling sensation in your hands and feet
* Kidney problems which may lead to kidney failure
* Eye problems which may lead to losing your eyesight
* Oral cavity infections which may cause tooth decay or gum disease

The complete article will be published on the Blog of Dr. Norwood at https://PaulNorwoodMD.blogspot.com/

*** Dr. Paul Norwood leads the team at Valley Endocrine in Fresno, California. Valued by his community for his caring and kind personality as well as his skills as a physician, Dr. Paul Norwood is also respected nationwide for his expertise as an endocrinologist. In 1993, Dr. Norwood founded Valley Endocrine Clinic, which specializes in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism, as well as Valley Research, which does clinical trials.

https://paulnorwoodmd.com/
https://PaulNorwoodMD.blogspot.com/